Wax Reading Shape Meanings
A dictionary of the shapes seen in set wax and in its shadow: 146 interpretations following the Russian Yuletide tradition. A large shape is the main event, a small one is secondary, and the shadow on the wall is what is still hidden.
Animals
Dog a faithful friend · Cat cunning and insincerity · Horse success and wishes fulfilled · Bull strength and stubbornness · Cow plenty at home · Pig material luck with a catch · Fox cunning and deceit · Wolf courage or a strong opponent · Bear strength, a patron or a trial · Hare timidity and quick changes · Mouse small losses · Snake an enemy and treachery · Fish luck and good news · Bird good news · Dove peace and love · Crow bad news and gossip · Owl a warning · Eagle rise and power · Swan faithful love · Rooster news and an argument · Butterfly lightness and pleasures · Spider money for persistence · Bee hard work and success · Frog a change for the better · Turtle slow but sure · Elephant luck and a patron · Camel patience and a long journey · Lion strength and influence · Snail things moving slowly · Lizard a surprise and a clever way out · Dragon big changes · Deer quick news and nobility · Ant work and saving
People and the Body
Man a person in your fate · Woman a woman who influences the situation · Child a new beginning · Couple a union and a meeting · Crowd society and gossip · Angel protection and good news · Face a new acquaintance · Eye the evil eye and envy · Hand help or a quarrel · Heart love · Veil a wedding · Footprints a step and a decision
Nature
Tree growth and plans fulfilled · Branch a new friendship and a beginning · Flower joy and recognition · Rose love and popularity · Bouquet happiness and admirers · Mushroom vitality or sudden growth · Acorn luck and big from small · Ear of wheat harvest and plenty · Grapes abundance and pleasures · Mountain an obstacle and a high goal · Sun happiness and success · Moon romance and fulfilment · Crescent success and growth · Star luck and a wish fulfilled · Cloud doubts and troubles · Lightning a sudden event · Rainbow hope and reconciliation · River a flow of events · Wave changeability · Fire passion and haste · Island solitude and rest · Palm tree success and rest
Objects
House home, family, stability · Window a new view and an opportunity · Door a new opportunity · Key a solution and an answer · Padlock an obstacle and a secret · Ladder advancement · Bridge a transition and reconciliation · Chair a guest or a position · Bed rest and private life · Candle hope and awaiting a celebration · Clock time and deadlines · Mirror self-knowledge and duality · Cup fullness and celebration · Bottle celebration or excess · Jug generosity and abundance · Basket a gift and an increase · Box a secret or a gift · Sack savings or a burden · Coins money and profit · Ring a union, marriage, a contract · Crown success and recognition · Beads gifts or tears · Scissors a quarrel and a break · Knife a break and an abrupt decision · Axe difficulties and decisiveness · Hammer hard work · Sword struggle and dispute · Arrow news and direction · Cross a trial and a burden · Anchor stability and reliability · Horseshoe luck · Bell news and a wedding · Book knowledge and documents · Letter news and a document · Flag a warning or victory · Umbrella protection and shelter · Fan flirting and fickleness · Hat a new position · Shoe a journey and marriage · Feather lightness and inconstancy · Wings inspiration and news · Cage lack of freedom · Chain obligations and a bond · Spider web intrigue and entanglement · Broom changes and clearing out the old · Scales justice and balance · Scythe an abrupt end · Coffin the end of a stage · Mask pretence · Egg a new beginning · Lamp a secret revealed · Table a feast and a meeting · Vase beauty and a gift · Glasses take a closer look · Cradle a new beginning and care · Tower elevation and solitude · Castle security and inheritance · Church a ceremony and a wedding
Road
Road a path and a trip · Boat a short trip and help · Ship a long journey and luck · Aeroplane a sudden trip and a rise · Car movement and changes · Wheel a cycle and changes · Hot-air balloon hopes and a rise
Signs and Lines
Straight line a clear path · Wavy line an uneven path · Dots money · Circle completion and union · Triangle success or a love triangle · Square stability and limits · Spiral development and repetition · Zigzag abrupt changes · Letter of the alphabet a person’s name · Number a time frame · Question mark doubts · Shapeless blot uncertainty and heaviness · Grid restrictions · Arch the way into something new and marriage
Light, Ambiguous and Heavy Signs
Every shape in the dictionary is marked as light, ambiguous or heavy. Light ones promise good things and soften their neighbors; ambiguous ones are read by their place and surroundings; heavy ones are warnings — their meaning is not a verdict but something you can avoid if you know about it in advance.
The dictionary has 64 light signs, 60 two-sided and 22 heavy. If a shape looks like two things at once, go with the one that came to mind first. For an interpretation of the whole picture, use the wax reading calculator.